Rare Antique Banded Millefiori Venetian Mosaic Glass Trade Beads

Add a touch of history and artistry to your collection with this set of four beautiful old and rare banded millefiori Venetian mosaic glass trade beads. Each bead showcases two distinct kinds of intricate glass cane, a testament to the master craftsmanship of Venetian artisans in the early 1900s. These mosaic millefiori beads are prized for their striking design and vibrant color bands that exemplify Venetian bead-making traditions.

Bead Details:

• Size: 12 x 11 mm
• Condition: Excellent

Created in Venice, Italy, millefiori or “thousand flowers” beads are renowned for their meticulous and colorful glasswork. Venetian artisans crafted each cane by layering rods of colored glass, slicing them into cross-sections to reveal intricate flower or star patterns, then embedding them in the glass bead. These beads traveled through trade routes to Ghana and other parts of Africa, where they became significant symbols in African culture, often used in rituals and worn as adornments to signify status and heritage.

These antique African trade beads are more than decorative items-they are a window into the rich tapestry of global history and art.

Explore more of TribalGH’s unique bead collections:

• Current Millefiori Beads Collection
• Antique Trade Beads Collection
• Sold Millefiori Beads Archive